Drifting device for locomotives



L. A. HOLST.

DRIFTING DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3. 1918.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

WITNESSES INVENTOQ BY W ATTORNEY LOUIE A. HOLST, OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.

DRIFTI-NG DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

Application filed May 3, 1918. Serial No. 232,359.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it lmown that I, Loom A. HoLsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbia, in the county of Richland and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drifting Devices for Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a drifting device for steam locomotives and while it generally aims to provide a novel, improved and more practical construction, yet a principal object is to so construct the apparatus as to exclude cold air, sparks, smoke and other matand first to Figs. 1 and 2, at designates a pipe or conduit which is in communication with that part of the steam boiler of a locomotive whereby dry steam is admitted. This pipe leads a portion of the said dry steam to a valve chamber 5 having a suitable valve, like the cylindrical valve 6, slidaible longitudinally therein.

The chamber 5, in the embodiment shown, is rigidly mounted on a cylinder 7, supported by a suitable base as at 8. Pipe 5% leads directly to a steam chest 5 which supplies steam to opposite sides of the cylinder 6 through ports 4 and 4*. An oil cup or lubricator 4 is fastened to pipe 4 for the supply of lubricant therethrough to the piston 6 and cylinder 5.

In the lower wall of the chamber 5 and the upper wall of cylinder 7 are registering ports 9' through which the steam may pass to the cylinder 7. An arm 10 depends rigidly from the valve 6 and is connected to a rod 11 of a iston whose head is shown at 12 and slides longitudinally of the cylinder. This head 12 moves to the same extent as valve 6,

Piston rod 11 may extend exteriorly of the cylinder and be supported by and slidable in a bearing 13 extending from an end wall 14 of the chamber. Drain cocks 8 may be provided for cylinder 5 whereby steam condensing into water therein may be removed and freezing in winter avoided. The other end wall of the cylinder is not air tight. It is shown at 15 and may have one or more ports 16 therein communicating with the atmosphere. Secured to the end wall 1% is a pipe or conduit 17 which is in communication with the steam chest of the engine. A drain cock 7 is secured to cylinder 7.

Preferably the chamber 5 is detachably bolted as at 18 to cylinder 7 and the arm 10 is rigidly connected to the valve 6, and removably extends into a with the rod 11.

Steam is always present in chamber 5 in View of its communication with the boiler by means of pipe 4. However, when the locomotive is drifting, the engineer having shut off the supply of steam from the steam chest of the engine, the pistons in the cylinder traveling back and forth in the engine, create vacuum. By means of pipe 17 which is connected at the other end to the steam chest of the engine, piston 12 is sucked to the right in Fig. 1. This action moves valve 6 to the right in chamber 5 by means of arm 10 which is connected to rod 11 and admits steam to cylinder 7 through port 9 and from the cylinder the steam flows through pipe 17 to the steam chest of the en- 1ne. g As soon as the steam admitted to the steam chest of the engine creates a pressure it backs up through pipe 17 and into cylinder 7 and forces piston 12 to the left in Fig. 1.

Valve 6 during this movement covers port 9 and cuts off the supply of steam to cylinder 7 and a vacuum is again created through pipe 17. The device thus automatically responds. In this manner, the steam admitted into the cylinders of the engine destroy the vacuum before the piston in the locomotive cylinder fully moves to release position.

Head 12 may be of any preferred construction and secured in any desired manner to the rod 11. However one or more piston rings 20 may be provided and a nut 21 may secure the head on the rod. In order to keep the parts in proper relation, rod 11 is pocket 19 integral preferably square and slides through a correspondingly shaped opening in the hearing 13.

In some instances I may employ a valve in lieu of valve 6, which is rectangular in shape. To this end such a valve as that shown at 6 in Fig. 3 may be used, and the steam chest 5 and chamber 5*, equivalent of the chamber 5, may be shaped to suit.

Other changes may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim In combination with the steam chest of an engine, a steam chamber having an elongated opening therein, a cylinder detachably connected to the steam chamber and provided with an elongated opening registering with the opening in the chamber, a valve slldable in the steam chamber and adapted to open and close the elongated opening therein, a piston slidable in the cylinder and rod.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. r LOUIE A. I-IOLST.

Witnesses:

ANDREW P. BECK, G. H. Wm'rnns. 

